In early May, I travelled to Owerri, Imo State and traversed over five local government councils and finally spent few days in Aronziuogu before heading
LASG is on the right track with the proposed electricity policy and we applaud the State government for this pioneering effort to decentralise and democratise the supply of electricity to Lagosians. Other States should emulate the LASG electricity policy and start to fashion out their own electricity policies and state electricity laws. This is what we’ve termed “Energy Federalism”.
The Lagos State government recently released a consultation paper on the Lagos State Electricity Policy. The consultation paper, signed by Mr Olalere Odusote, the Commissioner of Energy and Mineral Resources, highlights the need for Lagos State to develop its own electricity policy to address the rapid urbanisation of Lagos State, leading to increasing demand for electricity, and the inherent electricity shortages that have hindered the socio-economic growth of the State. The electricity policy will also focus on reducing environmental pollution from diesel and petrol generators that residents and
Power generation falls by 6.72% in 7 days
On
By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja
Power generation fell by 6.72 percent in the past seven days to 4,536.3 mega watts on Saturday, latest data from the industry has shown.
Figures from System Operator, SO, a semi-autonomous sector under Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, showed that at the start of the week on Sunday 16th May, generation stood at 4,863.6MW.
The fall was attributed to gas constraints and load rejection by electricity distribution companies, DisCos.
Close examination of the data also showed that generation was 4,730.6MW on Monday May 17. It fell further on last Tuesday by 0.67 percent to 4,698MW. Power generation fell again on last Wednesday by 2.21 percent to 4,536MW.
The International Monetary Fund has forecasted that Nigeria’s economy is expected to grow by 2.5% in 2021 and 2.3% by 2022, citing that a continued lack of access to vaccines will see Africa’s projected growth at 3.4% compared to the rest of the world at 6%.
The projected growth of 2.3 and 2.5% predicted for the Buhari administration is still leagues behind the economic growth witnessed under past administrations since the return to democracy in 1999.
In 2020, Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted by 1.92% in real terms from N71.39 trillion recorded in 2019 to N70.01 trillion. However, it grew by 0.11% (year-on-year) in real terms in the fourth quarter of 2020, representing the first positive quarterly growth in the previous three quarters of the year.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State had said his government was yet to see the evidence that the NLC was backing off from what it described as a campaign of economic and social sabotage against the people of the state.
“Power is yet to be restored after it was shut down on Sunday, 16th May 202 in a brazen violation of the laws protecting essential services and infrastructure,” he stated.
A statement signed by El-Rufai’s Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Muyiwa Adekeye, stressed the need for prompt restoration of electricity in the state and warned that Labour should not expect that it would be a matter for negotiation, much less being viewed as a precondition.